PCOC October-November Report

This report is late in coming as PCOC's official scribe was busy savoring the final days of his government employment and, after that glorious time had passed, was inundated with something called "work" in his new job. Despite these difficulties and the length of time since the last report, be sure that PCOC has remained the beacon of hope (and pizza and beer) in the workaday lives of its members.

Since the last report much has happened in the PCOC world. The Club went on a bit of a hiatus when the Chicago White Sox charged through the playoffs and won the World Championship. While the break caused concern among some PCOC members, this concern was surely outweighed by the boozy, "F the Cubs, we're the champs" delight of several PCOC faithful.

After this break, PCOC picked right back up where it left off by making pizza history when we conducted the First Annual Flying PCOC to the pizza capital of southeastern Wisconsin: the rancidly beautiful city of Milwaukee.

While PCOC's original plans of scarfing copious amounts of excellent thin crust pie and quaffing a ridiculous number of beers at Zaffiro's was thwarted by a bizarre "No reservations unless you have less than 10" policy, PCOC's emergency backup plan of killing some pie at Angelo's, the well-known Marquette University pizza joint and underage drinking establishment, was an incredible success.

While the pizza and beer and after-bars revelry was as insane as we all expected, PCOC had one big surprise in store for it in Mil-town. Charter member Tom "Creepy D" Dine shocked the world by proposing marriage to fellow charter member Jen McNelley in a revolving bar atop one of Milwaukee's finest hotels. According to PCOC sources, after what surely was none too brief of a hesitation, Jen said yes, marking PCOC's first meeting engagement. While many readers out there will note that PCOC has recently celebrated two other engagements, this was the first where the sweet deal actually went down at a meeting. Amazing the power of love (and pizza).

All joking aside, a sincere congratulations to Tom and Jen from PCOC. May there be a deep dish of happiness in your future.

Before moving on, a quick note regarding the after hours Milwaukee scene is necessary. Although many of PCOC's members spent four (or five, or six) glorious and disgusting years in Milwaukee at Marquette, it stood reason that the city, the school, and the PCOC members up for the trip had all changed somewhat since we had all been residents of the fine city.

I am happy to report that, while the MU campus and Milwaukee has managed to clean up a bit, it sure doesn't seem like the PCOC membership has followed suit.

Although most reports from the late hours of the evening and early hours of the morning are somewhat garbled, all evidence (including some photographic evidence that may or may not have been destroyed) indicates that many PCOC members still have an insatiable appetite for Busch Lite, whether it be out of a funnel, a plastic cup about to be flipped over, or really any other type of beer delivery device. The impressive performance of the PCOC crew at MU after-bars serves as further evidence that a bi-weekly repast of pizza and beer is enough to keep the body in training for prime performance in even the most challenging beer-drinking marathons.

That is all for now. Stay tuned for upcoming reports on PCOC's Annual Thanksgiving Celebration, the highly anticipated PCOC "Crock-Off," and reviews and reports from PCOC's visits to Vito & Nick's, Uno's, John's Pizzeria, and Papa Milano's.

PCOC Meeting #31

On Tuesday night, eleven members of PCOC convened for our 31st meeting at La Villa Pizzeria and Restaurant on Pulaski just north of Addison on the northwest side. La Villa was chosen by PCOC's Former President and Grande Dame Bridget Kelly after one of her old-school girlfriends from St. Viator's Parish recommended it. While St. Viator's Grammar School's hard-nosed, no-nonsense, and sometimes blood-thirsty hoops teams gave the neighborhood a certain reputation among those that spent time in the Big Ten Catholic League as kids, after visiting La Villa, it is apparent that the area is not all sharp elbows and knees to the groin, as love is being spread around this neighborhood in shape of round, steamy and delicious thin crust pizzas from La Villa.
Before getting into some info on La Villa and its pizza, I'd like to take a minute to say that I think that last week's meeting brought PCOC into rare territory as a club devoted to Chicago and its pizza. While there was nothing especially notable about this meeting number or its date, I feel that, with this 31st meeting, PCOC has successfully secured its place in the pizza world as an institution truly devoted to Chicago's pizza whose like cannot be found in the history of this fine city. With our combined experiences, we, PCOC's members, have all become true pizza experts. Congrats PCOC members, and remember, with our expertise and experience comes great responsibility. We must strive to broaden our personal experiences with Chicago and its pizza and to promote those pizza joints that truly embody the finest aspects of the crusty, cheesy, and tomatoey goodness that this city produces.

Moving on to La Villa. As mentioned above, La Villa is located just north of the intersection of Addison and Pulaski, within walking distance of the Addison Blue Line stop. La Villa appears to not simply be a pizza joint, but also a banquet hall, a local bar, and regular sit-down Italian restaurant, all of this seeming to add up to making La Villa a neighborhood institution of sorts. The main dining area that we were seated in consisted of a bar, several booths along both walls, and several tables. This main room was fairly crowded with bar patrons watching the Sox (somewhat strange considering how firmly La Villa is rooted in Cubs country), families, co-workers out for a bite, and locals having dinner. Before chowing down on some pies, various PCOC members made the following interesting observations about the place that may help readers out there in drawing a mental picture of La Villa:

• There was what appeared to be a sold-out condom machine in the men's room. The machine's presence made PCOC member Tom Dine posit that any pizza joint with this feature likely produced killer pies with untold aphrodisiacs included in the recipe.
• La Villa's tables are set with the red and white-patterned tablecloths that are a true sign of a quality family Italian joints.
• It was the right type of dark in the dining area. This means, of course, that it was bright enough to evaluate a pizza's crispy quotient and to easily determine toppings at a glance without it being so bright that sauce, grease or beer stains were easily visible on clothing and/or faces.

Getting down to La Villa's pizza, I would first like to note that while La Villa offers stuffed and deep dish pizza in addition to their most-popular thin crust variety, PCOC only ordered thin crust pizzas on its visit. Looking back on this decision, I am pleased with it because by failing to try La Villa's stuffed and deep dish pizzas, I have given myself a great reason to go back and eat some more of La Villa's tasty thin crust pizza. (This may not seem to make sense, but a veteran pizza hound would surely understand that, on my next visit, I intend to not only try the deep and stuffed pies but also to remind myself of the fine quality of La Villa's thin pizza as well.)

La Villa's thin crust pizza is not of the cracker-thin variety found in Chicago but is more middle of the road in terms of thickness. (thicker than a cracker, thinner than a slice of bread.) After the pizzas arrived at our table, and after he was able to inhale a couple pieces, member Matt "Chief" Dine immediately drew a comparison between La Villa's thin crust and Pete's Pizzeria's thin crust on North Western Avenue. This is a monumental comparison as Pete's is often considered by PCOC one of the northside's finest pizza joints. (PCOC thinks so highly of Pete's that, while I am not sure of this, I would be willing to bet some serious cash, or pizza or beer, that Pete's delivery number is stored in the memory of several PCOC member's phones.) After several more minutes and several more pieces, the Chief even declared that he thought that La Villa might be better than Pete's. While I have to agree with the Chief that La Villa makes a damn good pie, I am not able to place it on the podium above Pete's quite yet, as there were a couple criticisms of the pies offered by PCOC's astute members.

before getting into a critique of La Villa's thin crust pizza, I'll set out our order. For our 11, we ordered a sausage & pepperoni, a cheese and tomato with half spinach, a sausage, and a special, all large and well-done. I tried all but the special focusing on the sausage and the cheese and tomato. Several members thought the sausage had a great flavor and really stood out among all the toppings. I also thought the sausage was good and also thought that the cheese and tomato was real good due to the juicy-fresh tomatoes. A couple female members grumbled a bit about the spinach and tomato pie as they thought there was too much spinach on it or that the spinach had a bit of a "dirty" flavor. I also thought that some of the edge pieces were a bit dry and could have used a bit more sauce. All in all though, La Villa makes a damn good thin crust pizza in a relaxed and friendly environment, one that is worth the trip up to Addison and Pulaski no matter where you're coming from.

Former President Kelly won the meeting's "Price is Right" contest by guessing the total bill for our pizzas and beer within one dollar. While this may not sound like such an incredible thing to those of you who have not attended a meeting, it truly is a great feat, one that surely was made easier by the failure of beer-guzzling member Bryan Brisch to attend, but nonetheless is a sign that Ms. Kelly knows her beer and pizza.

As for PCOC developments, it was decided on a unanimous vote that the next meeting will be held on Wednesday, October 12 at the Chicago Brauhaus in honor of Oktoberfest and PCOC's respect for the German culture. (What they lack in pizza the Germans easily make up for with beer.)

Also a reminder to PCOC members: the First Flying PCOC to Milwaukee will take place on the weekend of November 11. Details will be discussed at the next meeting.

In closing, I would like to acknowledge the fine work of members Matt Couri and Tom Dine in organizing the first PCOC Charity Party benefiting American Red Cross and the victims of Hurricane Katrina. A good amount of money was raised and, by all reports currently available, all those present took full advantage of the all-you-can-drink deal Black Rock offered. Good work boys.

See everybody next week.

Report from Meeting #30

PCOC’s Meeting #30 convened last Thursday at the Four Treys bar on North Damen Avenue. Those in the know are certainly well aware that the Four Treys does not serve pizza, or any other food, but it does provide menus for nearby pizza joints that deliver to the bar for its hungry patrons. By choosing the Four Treys as the location for Meeting #30, member Matt Dine challenged PCOC to adapt its pizza-eating and beer-drinking habits. With this choice, Mr. Dine asked whether PCOC could properly order, eat, and appreciate delivery pizza in a bar setting. While this may not sound like a tough task, especially considering PCOC’s members’ incredible talents in the bar and pizza joint settings respectively, it was a task that could have caused some problems. Without getting into the details just yet, I am happy to report that the Meeting was a success on every level, even in the face of all challenges.

Before reporting on the Meeting’s events and pizza, there are a couple events and issues that require reporting.

First, PCOC would like to extend its xtra-large pizza congratulations to members John Dine and Jillian O’Brien on their recent engagement. As those of us lucky enough to consider John and Jill as friends well know, their relationship is one firmly built upon their love of each other, their friends and family (including Mick, Keith, Charlie and Ronnie), and pizza. We all surely hope with sincere conviction that pizza and PCOC play an important role in John and Jill’s future. Judging upon their past pizza endeavors, I think our hope is well-founded. Congrats John and Jill.

Turning to a less happy subejct, as the members were well aware, Meeting #30 was a mandatory voting meeting – one at which important decisions were to be made for PCOC’s future. While attendance was good, there were some noted absences, both excusable and inexcusable. Particularly absent was member Kevin Collins. Initial reports on his absence were scattered and confusing to those that know Kevin, as his absence was being reported as due to the season premiere of the TV show “The O.C.” While several PCOC members that survived four (to six) years of Marquette with the Deuce were all aware of his occasional penchant for a good episode of 90210 or Melrose Place, none polled on Thursday could recall the Deuce passing up a night of boozing and chowing pizza with his boys in favor of a night in front of the tube watching high schoolers complain about their love life. While there is concern among the membership about the Deuce’s commitment to PCOC (especially considering that the Deuce has TIVO and could have watched that crap anytime he wants), and while PCOC’s new il Commandante Bryan Brisch declared that his absence Thursday was his second strike (this rule to be explained below), the President would like to give the Deuce the benefit of the doubt. I simply ask, Who among us can forget the Deuce’s eating prowess? Or his love of beer? Or pizza? An eater and drinker of his skill is one that PCOC must treasure and always make every effort to keep in the fold. The President is confident that the Deuce will shape up and prove his loyalty to PCOC and his love of pizza, and beer.

Enough of that talk – let’s get to the pizza ordered for Meeting #30. Matt Dine chose to order pizza from Pompeii Bakery located at Sheffield and Wellington in Lakeview. This spot is the lone surviving branch of the former Taylor Street Pompeii Bakery that gained fame for its meat and cheese stuffed strudels and pizza.

Pompeii’s pizza comes in two styles: Sicilian crust (regular) or stuffed crust. The first variety consists of a medium, doughy crust and comes in a rectangular shape with rectangular pieces. The stuffed variety is very similar to the strudels that made Pompeii famous and consists of a pastry shell stuffed with a variety of ingredients and also comes in a rectangular shape and with sauce to dip it in on the side.

For our 15 members on Thursday, we had 4 Sicilian pizzas and one stuffed pie. I had pieces from three of the four regular crust pizzas and a small slice from the stuffed pie and can report that everything was pretty tasty. In particular, I thought that the sausage and tomato pizza was the best and highlighted the flavorful sausage and fresh-tasting tomatoes that Pompeii was putting out that night. Overall, it seemed that PCOC liked the pizza, with a couple rave reviews for the stuffed/strudel pizza and a couple grumblers. The crust style of the regular pizzas also seemed to have a couple detractors who may prefer the cracker-thin or pan variety and don’t see much room for anything in the middle. Personally, while I do prefer the cracker-thin crust of some of Chicago’s pizza, I do occasionally get a taste for a medium, doughy crust like Pompeii’s regular pies, and thought that Pompeii did make a fine pizza of this variety.

As for the stuffed pie, it seemed that, like PCOC as a whole, I had mixed feelings. Some members, notably the new il Commandante, couldn’t get enough of the meat and ricotta-stuffed pastry crust and put it away like beers a ballgame, while others really rejected the taste, and even the concept. Ms. Jillian O’Brien, after discarding her barely-touched piece of this pie, asked with obvious contempt, “If they give you sauce to dip it in, why don’t they just put the sauce inside? Can someone explain that to me?” Ms. Megan Collins noted that she thought that it wasn’t really pizza, but more of a calzone. While those who liked the stuffed pie did not respond directly to these comments, there were audible grunts and translatable facial expressions coming from B that made it clear that he thought anybody who didn’t like the stuffed pie was stupid and didn’t deserve to eat anymore. Regardless of the actual scientific classification of this pie, PCOC again impressed with this conversation as it highlighted PCOC’s members’ adaptability and broad range of eating experience.

As for procedural matters, it was decided that November 11, 2005 PCOC will take its first “Flying PCOC” trip to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. We will visit the fine pizza joint Zaffiro’s and then proceed to check the taps at several of Miltown’s finest adult beverage establishments.

As mentioned above, founding member Bryan “B” Brisch was unanimously voted to become PCOC’s first Il Commandante di Presenza del PCOC. As his first action in office, il Commandante established the “3 Strikes Rule” to help determine appropriate sanctions for misconduct by a PCOC member. Once it is determined by il Commandate that a member has gained three strikes on his record, a meeting between il Commandante, the President and General Counsel will occur, at which the appropriate punishment will be determined. There is no review of this process.

In closing, I would like to commend all PCOC members, especially Ms. Bridget Kelly, on our first donation to the Westside community center. Our small donation has apparently made a real difference in the lives of a family who needed a hand. Good work all and let’s make sure to maintain and grow our charitable efforts.

Former President Bridget Kelly will make the pick for Meeting #31 to be held on Tuesday, September 20.

Addendum to Meeting #29 Report & Advance Sheet for Meeting #30

An important detail was left out of last week's report. Longtime PCOC member Reenie O'Brien again surprised and impressed those present at last week’s meeting with one of her kitchen creations: krispy treats in the shape of turtles and lobsters. While the treats shaped like turtles were amazingly popular (possibly because they seemed to make a funny noise, almost like laughter, when bitten), those shaped like lobsters were not, as they seemed to have a bit of a salty taste. This of course made all those present worry and wonder about the world-famous, but temporarily defunct, Lobster Boil. Once these worries were put to rest by a surly Matt Couri, PCOC members were again left to ponder Ms. O’Brien’s wondrous ability with baked goods. Well done, Reenie.

As for next week’s mandatory meeting, the following topics may, or may not, be voted upon:

1. The date of the First Annual PCOC Pig Roast,
2. The date and location for the First Annual PCOC Charity Gala,
3. The establishment and staffing of the new position of Il Commandante di Presenza del PCOC (see below),
4. The date of the first-ever Flying PCOC to Milwaukee.
   

If a member cannot be present next week, please refer to last week’s report and follow the instructions for voting.

As for the new position of Il Commandante di Presenza del PCOC, please read a press release from the President’s Office:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Office of the President is proud to announce its plan to create a new position in the hierarchy of the PCOC government entitled Il Commandante di Presenza del PCOC, or il Commandante for short. (The English translation of the title is “The Commander of Attendance for PCOC.” For history, see below.)

The President announces the creation of this position in the wake of recent concerns regarding PCOC attendance. While the President and those close to him are not overly concerned about the recent drop in attendance, the concerns of the membership are under stood, and the President is hopeful that, with the creation of this new position of il Commandante, that these concerns will be met.

Il Commandante will be responsible for evaluating the attendance at PCOC meetings and will be given the power to take any and all appropriate action he or she deems necessary to maintain, improve, or otherwise manage the attendance at PCOC meetings. In addition to this important role, il Commandante will oversee and coordinate PCOC’s recruitment efforts. As a club devoted to Chicago and its pizza, the President feels that it is essential that PCOC continue to expand its efforts to match those of the entrepreneurial and artistic pizza kings of this fine City. One was to do this is to grow out membership to ensure that PCOC is refreshed with new faces, ideas, and members with differing experiences with Chicago pizza.

As an aside, while the title Il Commandante di Presenza del PCOC is an Italian phrase created by the President and his staff, it is not an entirely original title. In the late 1700’s, while Italy was undergoing massive social, political and pizza change, the pizza as we know it began to take shape in Naples. Naturally, as more and more people from the outside Naples tried these new pizze, the pizza as a food (and way of life) spread like wildfire through Italy, and the Mediterranean. As this expansion occurred, some of the originators of the pizza in Naples became concerned that the pizza art was being corrupted to such an extent that the future of pizza was in jeopardy of being extinguished like the flame of a pizza oven. Their response was to form Le Protetzioni di Pizza (or, the Defenders of Pizza), a militant group dedicated to defending the foundation of pizza and to promote their vision for the future of pizza. The name of this group’s leader was Il Commandante di Protetzioni di Pizza, or il Commandante for short. It is in this noble tradition that the name for PCOC’s Commander of Attendance was derived, and it is expected that PCOC’s future il Commandanti will live up to the tradition.

END OF RELEASE

PCOC Meetings 28 & 29

I would be remiss in getting into an update of PCOC's most recent gatherings before offering PCOC member Kevin Collins and his fiancé (and hopefully future full-time PCOC member) Emily, PCOC's heartfelt congratulations on their recent engagement.

PCOC really loves and admires these two for many reasons, but their love of pizza certainly stands out as one of this couple's finest qualities. This member can attest that he has not seen many couples as devoted to chowing down on a good pizza pie as Kevin and Emily. We at PCOC look forward to Kevin and Emily's journey together and know that all is good on the horizon, as we all know how the old saying goes, "A couple who eat pizza together stays together." Bravo Kevin and Emily. All the best from PCOC.

There is another pizza-related story regarding Kevin and Emily's April nuptials. While possibly rumors, there are various reports circulating from the Collins camp that pizza will play an integral role in their wedding celebrations. PCOC's President has received word from anonymous sources that several members close to the Duece anticipate that delivered pizzas will certainly come into play post-reception, most likely at the Drake Hotel in Oakbrook. It is expected that these pizzas will likely be ordered by an overserved guest or two (BK, Bruz) from the reception who will likely pass out soon after ordering them, leaving other hungry revelers (B, Ford, Turtle, and suprisingly, Duece and Emily) with surprise pizzas to pay for and chow down on late in the evening. As to whether there is any accuracy to these reports, all I can say is let's hope so.

Moving on to the PCOC meeting updates, this report will cover the two most recent PCOC meetings, starting with Tuesday night's meeting at Delisi's and concluding with the August 9 meeting held at Moretti's. PCOC members, please take special note of the important PCOC procedural and planning news contained at the end of the Delisi's report.

Meeting #29, August 23, 2005 at Delisi's

On Tuesday evening, PCOC convened for its 29th meeting at Delisi's Pizzeria at 5806 N. Western on Chicago's far north side. Charter member Maggie Matthews chose Delisi's after hearing from her many contacts in the St. Hilary's area that Delisi's had some serious pizza game. Without vouching for the honesty or character of Maggie's local sources, I am happy to report that they sure know pizza because, in this member's opinion, Delisi's does put out some fine pies. Before getting to the nitty gritty on Delisi's pizza, a bit of a description on the place is needed to get the real feel of this great northside spot.

Delisi's is located on a strip of Western Ave between Bryn Mawr and Peterson that is dominated on the east side of the street by the never-ending wall of the massive Rosehill Cemetery. On the west side of the street, where Delisi's is located, there isn't much going on with the exception of a couple car dealers slinging beat-up rides and an occasional fast food spot serving out burgers, beefs (and even ghetto fries, but that is another story). It doesn't seem like there is much foot traffic on this stretch of Western which certainly must play a part in making Delisi's a place that seems like it is almost exclusively frequented by locals.

As you approach Delisi's, the first hint that you get that it is a pretty laid-back place is when you notice that the front door is really just a screen door: a brown screen door that looks like it could be the back door to any house or apartment in the city that, at this time of year, instead of opening out to a backyard or back stoop, opens right out onto the open air of Western Ave. Once through the screen door, if you've never been there before, you might think that you are in the wrong place as the inside of Delisi's doesn't look like a pizzeria, but really just looks like a bar with a few tables scattered around. And really, that is exactly what Delisi's is: a small neighborhood bar that serves excellent pizza (and judging from the menu, but not the tables of other patrons, sandwiches and dinners too). Pizzas are served to drinkers and diners at tables all within an easy yell of the bartender.

Speaking of the bartender, on Tuesday night, PCOC was blessed to enjoy the service and company of one of Chicago's finest bartenders. Marilyn, a longtime bartender at Delisi's, is, in my opinion, the driving force behind what makes Delisi's so laid-back and interesting. Within seconds of my early arrival with PCOC members Bryan Brisch, Maggie and Matthew Couri, Marilyn was deep into conversation with us about her story, our stories, Delisi's, pizza, beer, and even the "hurricane in her head." All the while, Marilyn was keeping track of a couple tables and a small group at the end of the bar, stocking beer faster than she likely has ever done before (as Brisch was guzzling BLs on a breakneck pace from the minute he sat down), and later, even banging on TV that was on the fritz, showing all of us just how you might develop a head hurricane like hers.

Despite all of what was happening around her, Marilyn still had the presence of mind to closely advise us on our pizza order. Even though we told her that we are partial to thin crust pizza, she insisted that we try a pan pizza. And when we told her we like out thin crust pizzas well done, she knew exactly what we were talking about and told the guys in the kitchen to make them crispy. But Marilyn's abilities were not limited to keeping cold beer in our hands (as she said, "F*ck it, how about another bucket"), or giving insider info on Delisi's pizza, she also is Delisi's DJ, and a good one at that. While Marilyn was certainly a big part of PCOC Meeting #29, the real star of the night in my book was Delisi's pizza.

For our group of nine, we ordered three large thin crust pizzas and one large pan pizza. Between the three thin crust pizzas, I was able to try some plain sausage, some spinach and tomato slices and some sausage and pepperoni, and I thought all three were excellent. What makes Delisi's thin crust pizza so damn good is its combination of a crispy, cracker-thin crust, good amounts of sauce, and a healthy amount of fresh, flavorful toppings. It is hard to say what really makes Delisi's thin crust pizza stand out for me, but it has something to do with the miracle of how the thin, crispy crust is able to support a healthy serving of sauce, tasty cheese and a substantial amounts of toppings without buckling, or being overlooked as an essential (if not the essential) part of the pizza. Whether its religion, science or pizza artistry that allows Delisi's to pull it off, count me as a fervent believer. The only thing I could think of that might improve the thin crust pizza at Delisi’s is to add a bit more tang to the sauce, but I am not sure that is even worth messing with the fine thing that Delisi’s has going.

As for the pan pizza, I thought it was pretty good too. As Marilyn explained to us, Delisi's pan pizza is well known in the area, and actually has a connection back to Ike Sewell, the legendary inventor of Chicago-style pan pizza and original owner of Uno's. It turns out that one of Delisi's first pizza cooks learned his trade while working at Uno's, and judging from the pan pizza that we had, he learned it pretty well. The crust was flaky and had a good buttery taste. The tomato sauce was fresh and tangy tasting, and the sausage, like that on the thin crust pizzas, had great flavor. While it doesn't reach the level of an Uno's of Malnati's pan pizza in my book, I thought it was not too far off. Some PCOC members thought that the pan was a bit too doughy, and I might have to agree. This may be what separates Delisi's from Malnati's and Uno's.

Overall, I was mightily impressed with Delisi's thin crust pizza, thought that the pan was pretty good, and, when considered together, I think Delisi's pizzas (and bar scene) make it a legitimate contender for one of Chicago’s finest pizza spots.

There were several developments in PCOC planning discussed at Tuesday's meeting. It was decided that, due to the Labor Day weekend, the next PCOC meeting will take place on Thursday, September 8. Matt Dine won the honor of choosing the location for the next meeting and was granted the latitude by PCOC members present to go outside the boundaries of pizza if he so chooses. Of course, this is a pizza club and a pizza place would be preferred, but considering Mr. Dine's record and achievements, PCOC trusts him to make the right decision. It was also decided that the September 8 meeting will be a mandatory, voting meeting. Among the topics to be discussed and voted upon at the meeting are recent attendance issues, a possible membership drive/pizza telethon to be broadcast worldwide on the PCOC Worldwide Cable Channel, plans for the First Annual PCOC Charity Gala, PCOC t-shirts, PCOC Pig Roast plans, PCOC's potential corporate status, the First Flying PCOC to Milwaukee this winter, and discussions on setting a date for PCOC's Annual Awards Dinner Extravaganza. If a PCOC member cannot be present for the September 8 meeting, please submit a verified excuse form to General Counsel Brian P. Collins, Esq. Mr. Collins will determine the validity of all submitted excuses and allow proxy votes as he so chooses. Any concerns or issues that a PCOC member would like to be addressed at the upcoming meeting can be submitted to the Office of the President.

Meeting #28, August 9, 2005 at Morretti's

PCOC is happy to announce that the report for this meeting was supplied by Charter member Ms. Nora Couri. While well known to PCOC members for her patience and understanding in dealing with her husband, Mr. Matt Couri, Ms. Couri is also a gifted writer with an impeccable eye for quality pizza. What follows is her report on Moretti's, the West Loop bar/club/pizza place/union hall/volleyball court. For all PCOC members, please take note of and reflect upon her concerns regarding recent attendance concerns.

"I thought the pizza was good and I liked the bucket'o'beer special. It was a huge place, with a bit of an odd location in the teamster’s office complex. What was not good was the poor poor showing by members of PCOC, which led to the ordering of only 2 large pizzas. This initiated discussion of penalties for unexcused absences. Also discussed was positive reinforcement options to garner more interest among pizza club members. There was some concern that PCOC has lost its novelty. Further discussions were made regarding potential charity events. The poor attendance led to "half ordering" and did not give us the opportunity to sample more of a variety of pizzas. We ordered the Morretti's special -- onions, green peppers, mushrooms sausage and pepperoni and a half sausage and half sausage and pepperoni pizza. No veggie options. I won the bill guess, which was around $90 -- another showing of poor attendance."

PCOC Meeting #27 - Tomato Head Pizza Kitchen

The Pizza Club of Chicago convened last night for its 27th meeting at Tomato Head Pizza Kitchen at the corner of Webster and Sheffield in Lincoln Park. New President Barry C. Owen made the pick after revealing that Tomato Head beat out several better-known spots (Uno's, Due's, Papa Milano's, Marie's) on the basis that it was a bit of a wild card while many of the other spots mentioned are firmly established in Chicago's pizza landscape.

The turnout last night was light, only eight members compared to our more typical 12-15. This low turnout is understandable considering that various PCOC members are traveling to and from various exotic locales during the summer months. But the low turnout was actually a blessing in disguise last night as T. Head's dining area would have been dominated and tested to the breaking point by a turnout of 15 PCOC members killing beers and running around the tables chowing pizza. (That we were just a small group did not prevent us from raising a bit of hell in the place anyway. T. Head is BYOB, so, as a group, we brought approximately 50 cold, cold beers to the place only to discover that they did not have a cooler, or other way to keep our beer cold. After learning this, B's eyes glazed back in his head, and he sprung into action like a man possessed, grabbing an empty tub from the guys in the kitchen and then hijacking the coke machine's ice dispenser to fill his tub full of ice, all while some poor woman cowered behind him hoping to get a cup of ice for her daughter's coke. In spite of the many possible tragic outcomes of this situation, all worked out well in the end as the little girl got her coke and our beer stayed cold till the last drop. Well done B.)

To explain the dine-in situation at T. Head a bit further, it is important to note that, judging from the steady stream of people coming in and out of the place, it looks like T. Head makes its bread and butter on delivery and takeout, and, as a result, has a fairly small and very informal dining (i.e. pizza-eating) area. They also do not have any waitstaff leaving eat-in patrons to order off of the chalkboard menu above the counter. All of this seems to make Tomato Head a place that is focused on one thing and one thing only: turning out good pizzas, and a lot of them. As a pizza freak, this is good enough for me as I don't need an attentive waitress or a white table cloth when I go out for pizza. I just want some quality pizza and somewhere to put down my beer when my hands are greasy and full of pie. Now let's talk about Tomato Head's pizza.

T. Head's pies are thin crust and thin crust only. For our group of eight, we ordered four large (14-in) pizzas. Initially, we thought that three pizzas would cut the mustard, but upon deep reflection and some slobbering "I'm starving" comments from our group, it was decided to up the order to four. This turns out to have been the right move as, when the dust settled, we had maybe a quarter of a pizza left. This works out to the following pizza equation:

• 1 pizza-eating male + 1 pizza-eating female = 1 large Tomato Head pizza

I don't care what the menu or the people at the place tell you, follow this equation when ordering from T. Head or risk going home hungry, or worse, going home hungry and without leftovers to kill on the way.

We ordered all four of our pizzas well-done as a scouting mission by another table before we ordered indicated that the guys in the kitchen were possibly rushing some of the pies out of the oven. As for toppings on the four pies, we got a spinach and tomato, a sausage, a "Belt-Buster," and a sausage and pepperoni. The "Belt-Buster" was a house specialty and consisted of sausage, pepperoni, onions, peppers, mushrooms and black olives. While I did not try this pie, judging from the speed at which Turtle and B were taking it down, it seems to have been a solid combination of toppings. I tried all three of the other pizzas but focused on the sausage and the spinach and tomato varieties. I thought the sauce and crust were both very good and the ratio of sauce to crust was good as well. I also thought that the toppings seemed pretty fresh and all had good flavor. Overall, I thought the pizzas were damn good and I am sure that I will visit and get delivery from this place in the near future.

As for PCOC developments, Maggie informed those present that she is still brainstorming ideas for PCOC's first charity event preliminarily set to take place in late Fall or early Winter. Also, Ms. Nora Couri announced that she will be investigating the possibility of incorporating PCOC, with the hopes of turning PCOC into a worldwide conglomerate. These talks just make one wonder about the future PCOC empire. Some of the many ventures that must be discussed at future meetings include The PCOC Guide to Chicago Pizza, PCOC Pizzaland, PCOC Tour Company, PCOC Clothing Company, and The PCOC Annual Games. Finally, The Honorable Bridget Kelly suggested that PCOC members and leaders print out business cards to impress upon those we meet the importance that we place upon our club, beer, and the world of pizza. Ms. Kelly also won the honor of picking the location for PCOC meeting #28, set to take place on August 9.

In a related story, the planning for Ford, Turtle and Barry's Fourth Annual Lobster Boil on August 27 is in full swing. Early reports from anonymous sources from the LB's Executive Planning Committee indicate that this summer Boil promises to launch the Lobster Boil franchise into a whole new world with hopes that a traveling Lobster Boil Party Bus takes shape for its first nationwide tour to take place in Summer 2006.

PCOC Meeting #26 - Pat's Pizzeria

Pizza Club of Chicago convened last night for its 26th meeting at the new Pat's Pizzeria location on North Lincoln Avenue. Pat's Sheffield pizza joint has long been a standby for the northside's thin crust pizza lovers. Recently though, the Sheffield spot has closed and a new shop opened on Lincoln just south of Diversey. I can't really recall what the old place was like, but the new joint on Lincoln is new and "cute" according to the female members of PCOC. Presumably due to the newness of the place, it is currently BYOB. While the location, ambiance and current brew situation has changed from the old place on Sheffield, many will surely be happy to know that the pizza seems to have stayed the same: thin as hell and addictive once you get in a groove.

We had 10 people last night (with a couple possible late arrivals) and decided to play it safe by ordering 5 large pizzas. While the waiter opined that a large pizza would feed 3-4, we thought that it would be more like 2-3, and while we had some left, if we had ordered 3 or 4 according to the waiter's suggestion, we likely would have been a bit light. As for the pies themselves, we had a couple meat, a couple veggie, and a special. I thought that the straight sausage was the best of the bunch, but I also thought the cheese and tomato was pretty good too. Mr. Mike "Turtle" Carr developed a new way to eat Pat's pizza last night when he slapped two pieces of similar size cheese side together and started putting it back. What Turtle ended up with was kinda like a thin stuffed pizza without the extra layer of sauce on top, and looked like a damn good way to get a bunch of Pat's in your mouth as quickly as possible. With this move, Turtle further added to his reputation of being one serious f*n eater. Kudos Tortoise.

Things at Pat's weren't all aces though. There were some grumbles at the table regarding one of the veggie pizzas that had sun-dried tomatoes on it, as the tomatoes overpowered everything else and were not that tasty. There was also some talk about whether the pizzas were cooked enough. PCOC generally likes to order its thin pizzas well-done or easy well-done, but last night we just went with what the kitchen gave us as there were some fears that ordering Pat's really thin crust pies well-done could be dangerous. After much reflection, if I made the order again, I would have ordered the meat pizzas well-done and left the veggies pies to the expertise of the pizza makers. So there it is, you heard it here, from the experts, Pat's new joint is "cute," and the pizzas are still feature the same tasty ingredients and very thin crust. Overall, an above average spot that I am sure I will visit again or at least get delivery from.

As for PCOC developments, there was some Farm Report storytelling, and some further talk about the First Annual PCOC Games and PCOC charity efforts but no new action was taken on either front. The President won the "picker" raffle and will choose the location for PCOC meeting #27 currently scheduled for July 26.

In other news, The Office of the President is pleased to announce that preliminary talks have begun with various real estate developers of establishing a PCOC PizzaLand Funpark. This pizza heaven will follow along the lines of Disneyland, except instead of focusing on stupid little cartoon characters, the focus will be on big, beautiful pizzas. The hope is that PCOC Pizzaland will open the pizza world to new generations of American kids in a three-dimensional, interactive way by having the following activities:

• pizza workshops for kids,
• pizza slides (like a waterslide but you slide on greazy cheese and you fall into pizza sauce),
• pizza eating contests for kids,
• pizza fights,
• education about the importance of ovens in pizza making,
• daily pizza fireworks displays,
• history of pizza films,
• a pizza themed video arcade (where you win tickets to be redeemed for prizes like free pizza), and
• other exciting pizza-themed entertainment for kids.

For the adults, PCOC Pizzaland will offer the following:

• free beer and other adult beverages in an adults only area featuring bars with countless flat screen TVs that will be able to tune in any conceivable sporting event,
• spa and salon services for the ladies,
• many varieties of PCOC's favorite pizza for free,
• vigilant, paramedic/martial arts-trained chaperones to follow the little ones around all day,
• designated drivers providing door-to-door service to make the ride home after a long day of pizza and beer one of sweet slumber for both parent and child.

Preliminary plans call for PCOC Pizzaland to open by the summer of 2015.

PCOC Farm Report

An exploratory committee of PCOC members convened this past weekend at Jill's Farm in the budding hotspot of Marengo, Illinois. Right off the bat, on behalf of those present this past weekend, the President would like to thank Ms. Jillian "Shotgun" O'Brien for providing the PCOC committee with the type of hospitality generally reserved for world leaders, celebrities and other dignitaries.

There were several purposes for the PCOC gathering at The Farm this past weekend. First, it was to be a scouting mission of sorts for the First Annual PCOC Pig Roast to be scheduled for later this summer. It also proved to be a testing ground for plans for the "Flying PCOC" concept. In addition, it allowed the hardworking and overburdened PCOC members an opportunity to let loose and direct their creative energies towards PCOC and its future.

Some highlights and developments from the Farm weekend:

• PCOC members Mr. Bryan "I killed a 40 pack" Brisch and Mr. Matt "Zoomie" Couri won a water balloon toss and were granted a free ride at the next PCOC meeting,
• Whitey Whitehead is dead
• Ms. Bridget "Chunks" Kelly and Ms. Maggie "Flipper" Matthews officially certified the Farm's picnic table as a suitable venue for flipcup competition,
• Mr. Kevin "Early to Bed Early to Rise" Collins determined that it was OK to bring a beer to bed while at the Farm.

There were also some interesting discussions held regarding future PCOC activities this weekend. Mr. Brian "Rod is God" Collins proposed that PCOC begin a charitable donation program. It was determined that this topic will be further investigated and discussed at future meetings. Duece also suggested establishing an annual PCOC vacation to some exotic locale. This topic will also be discussed further at future meetings.

After reflecting upon the weekend's activities, the Office of the President is proud to announce its plans for the establishment of the Annual PCOC Games. The idea behind the PCOC games is to provide a stage for world-class competition in the sporting, boozing, and eating events that are important to PCOC and are not given enough attention elsewhere. Like the Olympic Games, the PCOC games will focus on excellence and will be a true reflection of the diversity of talents present in the PCOC membership. At this early stage in planning, the following events are proposed for the First PCOC Games:

• bags
• flip cup
• 80's music trivia
• beer shotgun contest
• water balloon toss
• eating/cooking contests involving pizza and/or grilled meats and chip dips

The when, how and what regarding the First Annual PCOC Games have not been determined and will be discussed over the next several weeks.

The location for the next PCOC meeting, scheduled for July 12, 2005, was announced this morning. Ms. Megan Collins has chosen the new Pat's Pizzeria on Lincoln Avenue as the location for the 26th PCOC meeting. See everyone there.

PCOC Meeting #25 - 6/21/05 Exchequer Pub

The 25th meeting of PCOC was held last evening at the Exchequer Pub on South Wabash in the Loop. (I kind of made this meeting number up, but I think that we should just go with it.) The location was chosen by PCOC member Deuce after he reportedly conducted research personally and via several contacts (i.e. T. Ryan) and deemed the place worth a try.

Walking into Exchequer, it was clear that the place has been around for a good while and, judging from the crowds in the bar and the three dining areas, it looked like they must be pretty good at what they do. While I did not look closely at the menu, it looks like Exchequer has pretty much everything, but that they focus on their ribs and pizza. As for the pizza, let's get to it.

Exchequer offers three styles of pizza delineated by crust type. The first style, and the style that the menu states Exchequer is famous for, is pan pizza. For the uninitiated pizza eaters out there (including many citizens of the member countries of the E.U. and other European states; many people from Africa, Asia, and South America; many in Canada and Mexico; the people from the West Coast and East Coast, especially New Yorkers; those from the Southwest and the South, and many in the Midwest outside of Chicago) pan pizza consists of a deep pan crust with cheese on top and toppings and sauce between. In addition to its pan pizza, Exchequer offers what it refers to as "thin crust" and "crispy crust."

While PCOC has shown a bias in the past for thin crust pizza, as a group, we determined that we had to try the pan pizza and find out if it truly deserves the "famous" tag. For our group of 15, we ordered 2 pan pizzas, 2 thin crust pizzas and 2 crispy crust pizzas. This order was just about right for our 15 (and I stress our, because we PCOC members unapologetically eat pizza at a rate and volume that many would not believe until they see it).

As for the pies themselves, I can report that, overall, I thought that they were above average. I had a piece of the pan pizza and thought it was good, but I really focused on the thin crust and crispy varieties. I thought that the crust, sauce and toppings on the thin pizzas were all above average. In particular, I thought that the Meat-Eaters thin crust pizza was very good and was the best pizza we ordered and that the canadian bacon was a particularly good topping. I really was not sure what the difference between the thin crust and crispy crust styles was, but, as I thought the thin pizzas were all pretty good and very similar, I would not worry too much about it on another visit. The one thing that I thought would have made the thin crust pizzas better was a bit more sauce, especially on the edges of the pizza. I had a couple crust pieces that were a bit dry and that could have used a bit more sauce. On the whole, I thought Exchequer's pizza was above average and I will be back for a pizza or two in the future.

There were a couple important PCOC matters discussed at last night's meeting. July 8, 2005 was the date set for PCOC's First Annual Pig Roast to be held at Jill's farm. Personally, I am eagerly anticipating the Roast, and judging from Big D and Jill's past endeavors, I am certain that I will not be disappointed. That the event will focus on pork, bacon, beer and other adult beverages and will likely not involve pizza is a testament to PCOC's overall commitment to consumption of all kinds.

Jill O'B also updated PCOC on the status of the t-shirt situation. Famous artist (and excellent pickpocket) Mr. Clayton O'B has been commissioned to submit designs for the Club's first t-shirt. Clay's design, while still under wraps, promises to become an immediate sensation making the first PCOC t-shirt worth its weight in gold. Pre-order sales of the t-shirt are brisk and it is anticipated that the first run will quickly sell out.

Quote of the night: "Are there any extra Bud Lights?" Question asked by B to the table.

Additional comments and reviews to follow.

PCOC June 21, 2005 Meeting

The location for the June 21, 2005 meeting of PCOC was announced today. This week's lucky pizzeria is the Exchequer Pub on Wabash. The choice was made by off-again-on-again member Kevin C. (aka "Deuce," "Mini-dude," or, to PCOC members, "Giordano" or "Dano" for short) after he was chosen to be the honored selector at the previous PCOC meeting held at Fornello's.

From early discussions, it appears not much is known about Exchequer and its pizza by PCOC members. Long-time PCOC member and new President Barry O. (aka "Dingle") reports that he has heard that the pizza is good, but his word is sometimes questioned as it seems he says the same thing about every place he's never been. While PCOC members are eagerly anticipating chowing down on Exchequer's pizza, it is possible that PCOC's members are more interested in seeing if Deuce shows up to this week's meeting. It is true, that, as widely reported in Chicago media, Deuce failed to show to a PCOC meeting at Giordano's in Lakeview just a couple months ago, even after he chose Giordano's as the location of the meeting! After serving a suspension, Deuce has regained full PCOC membership privileges and has even been allowed the opportunity to redeem himself by the magnanimous PCOC members.

Reviews of Exchequer will follow.

Pizza Club of Chicago

Welcome to the the website of the Pizza Club of Chicago, a collection of Chicago's most dedicated and discerning pizza aficionados. We are a group of friends who get together for pizza and beer every other week at a new pizza place in Chicago.

SOON TO BE FOUND ON THIS SITE

• a list of all of the establishments visited by PCOC with ratings and short reviews of each place from various members
• certain other content created by PCOC members both related and unrelated to pizza and PCOC
• contact info for comments, etc.
• some pictures or something

HISTORY AND PURPOSE OF THE PIZZA CLUB OF CHICAGO

The Pizza Club of Chicago, or as it is more commonly referred to by its members, PCOC (pronounced "peacock"), was founded in the summer of 2004 by a group of pizza-hungry and beer-thirsty friends with the goal of broadening our Chicago pizza knowledge (and giving us an excuse every other week to get together, eat pizza and drink beer). The idea for the club was first developed and promoted by our legendary founder and first President, Ms. Bridget K. After 2004's Kentucky Derby, our President (aka "BK"), Mr. Thomas D. ("Creepy D" or "Diner"), Mr. John D. ("Big D"), Ms. Jillian O'B, Mr. Bryan B. ("B"), and Ms. Jen Mc. and several others decided that it was time for PCOC to stop simply being a fun topic of conversation and instead become a reality. Just two weeks later, PCOC had its first meeting at the original Lou Malnati's in Lincolnwood. At this first meeting, BK was confirmed as our first President while Diner, Big D, Jill, B and Jen were elected to the Board of Directors. Mr. Brian C. ("Bruz") was later appointed as the General Counsel of PCOC.

The mission of PCOC is to provide its members opportunities to try pizza from places they have never been before and to help us to truly appreciate the the number of great pizza places there are in Chicago (and how many beers B can drink in one sitting).


RULES OF PCOC

The more important rules of PCOC were established at the inaugural meeting at Lou Malnati's. While membership rules were not pinned down and remain relaxed, certain procedural rules for the frequency of meetings and the conduct in meetings were settled. As mentioned above, PCOC meets every other Tuesday at a pizza place chosen by a member present at the previous meeting. The member that is given the honor of choosing the location for a PCOC meeting is determined by a complex lottery that is supervised by the President and General Counsel. Another key element of a PCOC meeting is the "Price is Right" guessing game. This game requires each person present makes a guess as to what the total bill for the meeting will be, plus tax, but not including tip, and the person that is closest without going over gets a free pass on their share of the bill. Other rules (all somewhat flexible) include the ban of the ordering of any appetizers, salads or other entrees - this is a pizza club and we will order only pizza (and beer).

That's it for now.